Crane attachment for loading or unloading cars.



PATENTED Nov. 22, 1904.

. J. LEIGHTHAM. CRANE ATTACHMENT FOR LOADING 0R UNLOADING CARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT 2. 1904 3 3EETSSHEET 1.

NOJIIODEL.

No. 775,832. PATENTED NOV. 22, 1904.

J. LEIGHTHAM, CRANE ATTACHMENT FOR LOADING 0R UNLOADING CARS.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 2. 1904.

3 3IIEBTSBHBET 2.

N MODEL.

No. 775,882. PATENTED NOV. 22, 1904. J. LEIGHTHAM.

CRANE ATTACHMENT FOR LOADING OR UNLOADING CARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. Z. 1904.

110 MODEL. 3 SHEETSSHEET 3 No, FY1332. Patented November 190%.

arena tries,

JOSEPH LEIGHTHAM, OF READING, PENNSYLVANlA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TO JACOB NOLDE AND JOHN LINDBERG, OF BEADTNG, PENN- SYLVANTA.

CRANE ATTACHMENT FOR LOADING-i OR UNLOADllNG CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,832, dated November 22, 1904.

Application filed September 2, 1904. Serial Ne 223,133. No model.)

' (/7 17/1 Z/ nected by an intermediate transverse beam .11,

BeitknownthatLJosnrnLmeH'rn/mna citiupon which the mast 12 is centrally mounted, 5

zen of the United States, residing in the city and by a parallel transverse beam and diof Reading, county of Berks, State of Fennagonal braces 1a, connecting the portions sylvania, have invented certain new and usewhich extend rearwardly beyond the end of ful Improvements in Crane Attachments for the ear. The longitudinal beams are Loading or Unloading Cars, of which the foladapted to rest upon the tops of the incloslowing is a specification. ing sides a of the car, the width of the chan- The object of my invention is to provide a nels and their spacing apart being such as to 10 convenient and serviceable hoisting attachpermit attachment to cars of varying width ment adapted to be readily applied to cars without changing and the rearwardly-ovcrand to serve a safe and economical means hanging portions being anchored by chains of loading and unloading heavy and unwieldy 15 and rail-engaging bars 15, with weighted material, such as railroad-rails. ends 15", or by other suitable means to the 5 Itis well known that the unloading of heavy road-bed. The mast 12 may be removably rails particularlyis not only aditlicultand exmounted upon the intermediate transverse pensive work as ordinally effected, but that beam 11 and is maintained in upright posi- 5 it is attended with considerable risk of injurtion by means of a top support 16, adapted ing the rails in dropping them at desired to engage the upper extremity thereof, and

20 points and also with considerable danger to also by a boom-supporting collar 17, inclosthose engaged in handling them. To overing the same some distance below said top come these difliculties and dangers and prosupport, and which is rigidly connected to a vide for satisfactorily loading and delivering circular track 18, upon which the overhangthe rails, as desired, it is essential that a hoisting portion of the boom 19 is carried on a 5 ing mechanism be employed; and my invenroller 20 in swinging around the mast. The tion consists in providing a suitable portable track 18 is carried upon opposite posts 21 21 apparatus adapted to be readily applied to on the longitudinal beams 10 and. by a loose and detached from any ordinary gondola-class ring 22, inelosing the mast 19., above a fixed cars and which is fully described in conneccollar 22 thereon, said ring being connected 30 tion with the accompanying drawings and the by a series of inclined braces 23 to the curved novel features pointed out in the claims. track, and the boom-supporting collar 17 is Figure 1 is aside elevation of acranemechalso connected by transverse bars 2% 24: to anism embodying my invention, the same bethe upper portions of said post 21 21, while ing shown attached to a car and suitably ancorner-braces 25 and fore-and-aft braces 25 35 chored. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. give rigidity to the structure. A suitable Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional elevation. Fig. l crab mechanism (not shown) is secured to showsaroller-leg employed to facilitate movthe lower portion of the mast, and tackle ing of the apparatus upon cars. connections 26 are provided on the boom to A represents an end portion of any ordienable the rails or other material operated 4 nary platform or gondola car having incloson to be carried thereby at any desired dising sides a, between which railroad-rails or tance from the end of the ar in loading or similar heavy freight is carried. unloading the same. The top support 16, as

My improved portable hoisting mechanism shown, comprises a bearing-ring normally enis adapted to be temporarily attached to a car gaging the upper end of the mast and con 45 either for loading or unloading the same and, nected by diagonal braces 27 27 to the rearas shown in the drawings, is constructed as wardly-extended longitudinal beams 10 of the follows: The base portion is made up of two base, said l'Jearing-ring being normally held longitudinal channel-beams 10, rigidly con- 1 in connection with the top of the mast by a nut 28 or equivalent means, but being capable of disengagement from the mast, so as to permit the convenient removal or replacement of the boom, which may thus be handled independently, so as to facilitate the application of the hoisting mechanism to successive cars, as required. The structure is very strong relative to the weight, while at the same time readily portable, easily applied, and conveniently operative.

To provide for conveniently moving the mechanism longitudinally from one car to an adjoining one, 1 preferably employ removable roller-legs, as indicated in Fig i, said legs comprising a head-block 30, adapted to fit beneath the longitudinal channel-beams 10 and having terminal flanged rollers 31, adapted to ride upon the sides a of the car and upon a bridging-beam extending between adjoining cars.

hat I claim is- 1. A crane attachment for cars comprising a base portion made up of parallel beams arranged to rest upon the vertical car sides and an intermediate transverse beam, a mast centrally mounted on said transverse beam, a top support for said mast having diagonal braces attached to the rearwardly-extending portion of said parallel beams,a laterally-braced boomsupporting collar encircling said mast below said top support, a circular track braced to said mast, and a boom rotatable on the latter between said top support and collar and riding upon said track, substantially as set forth.

2. A crane attachment for cars comprising a base portion made up of paralled beams arranged to rest upon the vertical car sides and an intermediate transverse beam, a mast centrally mounted on said transverse beam, a top support for said mast having diagonal braces attached to the rearwardly-extending portions of said parallel beams and movable into and out of engagement therewith, a laterally-braced boom-supporting collar encircling said mast below said top support, a circular track braced to said mast, and a boom rotatable on the latter between said top support and collar and riding upon said track, substantially as set forth.

3. A crane attachment for cars comprising a base portion made up of parallel beams arranged to rest upon the vertical car sides and an intermediate transverse beam, a mast centrally mounted on said transverse beam, a top support for said mast having diagonal braces attached to the rearwardly-extending portions of said parallel beams and movable into and out of engagement therewith, a laterally-braced boom-supporting collar encircling said mast below said top support, a circular track rigidly connected to said boom-supporting collar and to a bracing-ring carried upon said mast, and a boom rotatable on the latter between said top support and collar and riding upon said track, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH LEIGHTH AM Vitnesses:

D. M. STEWART, WV. G. STEWART. 

